New York Knicks is reported to be interested in getting P.J. Tucker from Phoenix Suns. Tucker is expected to improve the Knicks’ defense which have been very poor lately.
Coach Jeff Hornacek was baffled by the poor defensive of New York Knicks. The are now in the losing streak for two consecutive weeks. Moreover, their poor defense have allowed Orlando Magic to score like the Warriors according to CBS Sports as they defeated the Knicks 115-103 on Monday, Jan. 2.
However, coach Hornacek understands that his players do not have defensive traits. They mostly are great scorers, but not good in defense. He also realized that the players have tried to play defense.
"I think these guys really are trying, but defense is tough,” coach Hornacek said. “It's an all-out running into guys, hustling, not stopping. It's a lot harder than offense. So the effort they are giving is, I think, is good, but we got to get it to be great."
Hornacek is in desperate need to have strong defensive player, and he set his target on the Phoenix Suns small forward Tucker. In his six years of career in the NBA, Tucker is known for his strong defense trait. He may not be able to made big score, but he is a very tough defender.
This season, in term of defensive rating, Tucker ranked 22nd among the 80 players in small forward position. He only averaged 6.3 points and 5.4 rebounds this season, but he can guard any players well enough.
However, the important question about the trade is who will be sent to Phoenix from the current roster. According to ESPN, the Knicks have interesting offer for Phoenix Suns in young players such as Willy Hernangomez, Kyle O’Quinn and Mindaugas Kuzminskas.
This Wednesday, Knicks lost another game against Milwaukee Bucks by 104-105 which put them in the six consecutive losses for the last two weeks. Watch the full game highlight between Knicks and Bucks below:
